Go Fishing 2010

Idaho and Washington have numerous fishing seasons geared to different waters and fisheries — too many to even summarize here. Always check current regulations for specific waters before going fishing. There’s talk of more changes starting next year in both states. Meantime, here are some opening dates to note: Washington

Most Inland Northwest lakes, big and small, hold bass, but some waters provide outstanding late-spring and summer fisheries for largemouth and/or smallmouth. Among them. Banks and Moses Lakes as well as Potholes Reservoir in Grant County are popular tournament destination for good reason.

Dworshak Reservoir is emerging as a top destination for kokanee anglers this year. More than a million fish are in the current two-year-old year class targeted by anglers – that’s five times more than last year.

Upcoming trout/salmon fishing derbies include: •Red Covey Memorial Spring Salmon Derby on Lake Coeur d’Alene, April 17-18.

Coffeepot Lake west of Harrington has a well-deserved reputation for producing big rainbow trout for anglers casting lures and flies. The scablands lake has several different twists for a “selective fishery.” The 3,000-acre lake is stocked with only 5,000 rainbows. (For comparison, the put-and-take fishery at West Medical Lake is managed for about 800 fish per acre). But Coffeepot has some natural trout spawning.

Lenice Lake in Grant County has been a star attraction among Washington’s quality waters this year. Listed in Washington’s fishing regulations pamphlet as “selective fisheries,” these waters are prized by catch-and-release anglers. They have special rules and often have longer seasons.